


In the Wake of the Tidemother

by forbiddengarnet



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Blind Character, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Post-Leviathan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-23
Updated: 2019-08-23
Packaged: 2020-09-24 22:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20366278
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forbiddengarnet/pseuds/forbiddengarnet
Summary: It was late morning after the battle with the Hydrean, the room lit up from the bright, uncaring sunshine outside. The Shield could hear people working outside, but he paid them no attention - instead, his eyes remained on Ignis while his hand took hold of the unresponsive one.





	In the Wake of the Tidemother

Whenever Gladiolus closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep and rest, he was met by the same images: Rubble and smoke wherever he looked; ahead of him the altar; Ravus leaving; Ignis and Noctis on the ground. His body keenly remembered the feeling of his heart dropping like a stone into his boots the moment he saw not only his motionless, yet still alive prince and best friend, but also the one man who held his heart, struggling to stay conscious. He remembered the fear when he’d reached out to check Ignis’ pulse, which luckily was stable for the most part. But by the gods, the wounds around his unfocused eyes.

That would always be the moment he’d jerk awake with a start, racing heart and heavy breathing, Ignis’ plea for forgiveness still ringing in his mind. And each time he’d find himself sitting in the same spot, next to the bed that held a sleeping adviser with bandages covering his eyes since the night before. Now, too, as he woke yet again, he reached out for Ignis’ wrist to check the pulse, just to confirm without a doubt that he was still alive. His back ached from ‘sleeping’ in yet another awkward position, but he didn’t care one bit. He wouldn’t leave the other’s side until he awoke. Prompto had promised to watch over Noctis, and aside from these two rooms, he didn’t care about what else went on outside. They were given rooms by Altissia’s secretary, for which he was thankful, but for now he wanted nothing to do with the problems outside.

It was late morning after the battle with the Hydrean, the room lit up from the bright, uncaring sunshine outside. The Shield could hear people working outside, but he paid them no attention - instead, his eyes remained on Ignis while his hand took hold of the unresponsive one. On the inside, he kept beating himself up about what had happened. Had he pulled not only Prompto, but also Ignis into safety on the bridge, they could have gone to the altar together. Or had he insisted the three of them meet up after they heard Ignis over the communicators. Or gotten to the altar sooner! He didn’t know what had happened before his arrival, but he could have prevented this, he was sure of it. Now, all he could do was hope that the injuries on Ignis’ face would heal, and that his sight hadn’t taken too much damage. He would never forgive himself otherwise, for letting the one he cared most about to be irreparably harmed.

Thankfully he didn’t need to wait too much longer before he felt a soft squeeze to his hand, and he was instantly alert, his own hand returning the soft squeeze. “Iggy? Are you awake?” he asked, and a small flood of relief washed through him when he heard the familiar, yet strained voice. “Is that you, Gladio?” The older allowed himself a small smile. “Yeah, the one and only. How’re you feeling?” For a moment he wondered if Ignis had fallen asleep again as a brief silence followed. “I believe ‘hit by a lorry’ might be a suitable, metaphorical comparison,” Ignis eventually replied, and only he would come up with such a reply. Never just flat out say ‘Hit by a truck’. “Where is Noct? Is he alright?”

Now it was Gladiolus’ turn to hesitate with his reply, in part because he didn’t know for sure himself. Well, he knew where the younger was, and that he’d wake up eventually, but he hadn’t seen Prompto since earlier that morning. “He’s in another room, we were taken in by the secretary. Prompto’s with him, he’s probably still asleep. Apparently the battle with Leviathan took its toll on him, exhausted him, so now he’s recovering,” he filled the adviser in, keeping their hands clasped the entire time. He wouldn’t let go until Ignis did. “It’s around noon now, the battle was yesterday. The doc should be here soon to check on you, too.”

A brief silence followed while Ignis presumably processed the information, and Gladiolus was just about to ask what had happened at the altar when the door opened to reveal the doctor. Only then did he reluctantly let go of the younger’s hand. The man briefly introduced himself, and insisted Ignis remain lying down as the younger was about to try sit up. Gladiolus stood and was about to step to the side to give the man space to work, but he was allowed to stay where he was.

So he watched as the bandages were carefully removed, only to reveal what had become of the injury, and he had to stop himself from gasping. The entire injured skin particularly around the left eye was heavily scarred as if it had been scorched. There wasn’t a single drop of blood even on the bandage. And as Ignis tried to open his eyes, the Shield’s worst waking fear from the entire morning seemed to be coming true. Only the right eye slowly opened, while the left lid seemed to be scarred tightly shut. The pupil of the right eye, once the most beautiful blue Gladiolus had ever seen in a person, was now a very light blue, almost white, and unfocused. He noticed Ignis’ hand gripping the bed cover into a fist, and that was the moment he knew the adviser couldn’t see.

He tuned out half of what the physician said, too busy trying not to punch himself. This was his fault, he should have been there for Ignis. He wanted to yell at the top of his lungs, smack his head against the next best solid surface, curse the gods, turn back time to before the incident on the bridge. Ignis didn’t deserve this! All his life he’d spent fully dedicated to his duties, putting everybody else’s needs ahead of his own, his royal duties ahead of his personal love life. Gladiolus knew the younger harboured similar feelings for him, had seen it proven in many fleeting touches and glances over the years. The smiles Ignis sent his way would always be warmer than those given others. Neither of them had acted upon it, though, Gladiolus mainly out of respect to Ignis’ unspoken wish. Now, on top of everything, the adviser had his sight stolen from him, a sense he’d always valued almost more than anything else about himself. Because Gladiolus hadn’t been there to help in whatever situation the younger had been in to cause this injury. How could he let this happen? There were two people he’d sworn to protect, and he’d failed them both miserably.

Once the doctor finished his check, he decided that it would be safe to keep the bandages off. The scarring was already advanced enough that there was no risk of an infection, though he had never seen such a rapid advancement until now. Before he left, he said that the right eye might regain some sight, but he advised them to not hold on to the hope too much. If nothing changed over the next two weeks, it likely wouldn’t at all. He offered a genuine apology for not having better news, and left to continue his round on others injured after the battle. The prince, he said, was still fast asleep.

Gladiolus and Ignis remained silent a few minutes after the doctor left, both lost in thought. It was only when the adviser moved in an attempt to sit up, that Gladiolus was pulled back to reality. “You should get some more rest,” he said, resting one hand on Ignis’ shoulder, the other on his collarbone to gently try push him back down. He frowned lightly when the younger seemed to tense momentarily, and refused to budge.

“Where was the first time we sat and had a full conversation?” Ignis asked out of the blue in his famous no-nonsense voice, making Gladiolus’ frown deepen in confusion.

“That’s ages ago, how would I--”

“Answer me, Gladio,” Ignis cut in with more force, and the Shield sighed in resignation. He didn’t understand what the sudden question had to do with Ignis needing rest, but if an answer was what it took, he’d dig deep into his memory. They’d only been children at the time, but it was surprisingly easy for him to recall their first actual conversation.

“In the Citadel’s library, if memory serves. Maybe two months after we were formally introduced to each other. You were reading a book on Solheim. I joined you with my own book, less heavy literature. I was interested in history as well, so I asked you about your book, and we ended up discussing what little things we knew about the old civilisation, and legends surrounding it and the Astrals,” he told what he remembered, and saw Ignis relax again. “What about it?”

“Apologies, I… had to confirm something,” the younger said as he finally let himself be pushed down again. Needless to say, that didn’t explain anything to Gladiolus. He wanted to ask, but stopped himself when Ignis closed his eye again, thinking the younger might want to sleep some more. “How bad does it look?” the adviser asked after a moment instead, and it took no rocket science to know what he meant. Especially not when Ignis reached up with one hand to carefully feel for the edge of the left, big scar. His hand quickly withdrew the moment it made contact, as if burnt.

Just watching the reaction caused another pang of guilt in Gladiolus as he kept blaming himself. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, he tried to explain the injury to Ignis, who listened silently. The entire area on and around the left eye, some little by his right eye, and a small one on the bridge of his nose and bottom lip. After the explanation, they both fell into silence again while Ignis processed this new information, likely imagining his face now, based on the description. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there to help…” the Shield said after a few moments, the guilt eating away at him. He seriously would never forgive himself for this.

“I’m glad you weren’t,” Ignis said without missing a beat. He seemed to sense the older’s confusion, and he moved to sit up without being stopped this time. “Not even you would’ve stood a chance. The chancellor… he has powers beyond our knowing, he effortlessly knocked Ravus out. The ring was the only option I had for a remotely balanced fight, my sight was the price for its help.”

The Rind of the Lucii?! Was Ignis mad?! He wanted to ask this exactly, but stopped himself just in time. They were both devoted to their duties and to protecting Noctis, and really, if he had been in Ignis’ position, he knew he would have done the same. Only then did the piece of information sink in, that the guy who’d been helping them all those times before had been there to fight. They’d all had their suspicions about this Ardyn guy, but none of them could have guessed he had powers that required the ring for help. He knew only of one other time not so long ago that someone outside the royal family had relied on the ring’s powers, and that had cost him his life. Cor had told them of Nyx’s ultimate fate - and it dawned on him that this same fate could have befallen Ignis as well. The thought of losing the younger this way made him sick, especially because he knew, again, that Ignis would have taken that deal, too, in order to fulfil his duty. Now he knew how close he had actually been to losing Ignis entirely.

“King Regis was there,” Ignis continued eventually, snapping Gladiolus out of his thoughts, “He persuaded the leading king to make the price less severe than what they had first demanded. It’s thanks to him that I’m here now… I believe the leading one was the First King, King Somnus. His shapes looked a lot like how he’s depicted in the book of old.”

Gladiolus heard the words Ignis spoke, but none of it mattered to him right then. He would thank King Regis another time, but right now, all he could think about was how close Ignis had been to death as the final sacrifice. What had begun as a trip to Altissia for Noctis to get married, almost cost the prince and his Hand their lives. His best friend, and the one who had his heart. It _had _already cost their king and his own father dearly. “Gladio? Are you listening?” he heard Ignis’ voice filter through the chaos of thoughts running through his mind just then, bringing him back to reality - to Ignis being here, alive. Without another thought, the Shield moved off the chair to kneel on the bed, and reached out to pull a startled Ignis close and into his arms with no further hesitation. He felt the younger momentarily try to squirm out of the hold, but felt him relax into the embrace a moment later.

“And you called _me _reckless after I’d been off challenging the Blademaster?” he asked, keeping his voice down in their new proximity as he kept his arms wrapped around the younger. “I’ve wanted to do this back then, too. Long before we even set out on this trip. I’ve always just wanted you close like this. Last night I almost lost you, and… fuck, I’m not hiding it anymore. _We _shouldn’t hide anymore. We’ll tackle anything thrown at us together, without losing our focus on our duties that’ve been holding us back this entire time.” He let the words settle in, and watched as Ignis reached up to touch his scars again, self-conscious of them all of a sudden. The Shield reached up to pull the hand down, and cupped his cheek on the injured side instead. “I don’t care how many scars you have, you’re still Ignis. You’re still the most beautiful person I know.”

He watched Ignis think for a moment or two, giving the younger the time to gather his thoughts and make a decision. He would respect whatever choice Ignis made. Whichever way they would continue from this, he promised himself he would do whatever it took to keep the other safe. He would observe Ignis’ recovery, and make according suggestions, whatever it took to keep him safe.

Again he was pulled back to reality when he felt a hand on his own which was still cupping the warm cheek, soft skin bordering cruel scars. Though he stood by his word - despite those scars, in his arms he held the most beautiful person he’d ever met, on the inside and out. Watching that small, soft smile along with a light nod as fingers curled with his was all of an answer he needed. After years of them both holding back for the sake of their duties, they finally allowed themselves this piece of happiness. Gladiolus inclined his head slowly until their lips brushed just lightly for a moment, and followed with a first real kiss when he felt Ignis’ other arm loop around him. This was it, his new piece of happiness in a world full of death, manipulation, and struggle.

_____

A few days later found Noctis still asleep, but the doctor assured that the young prince was recovering well. For Ignis there still was no change in his condition, and he was continuously struggling to integrate his new blindness into his daily life, which he spent by Noctis’ side, or in trying to be of help to the people surrounding them. He had been given a cane to assist his freedom to walk around, and after all the things he’d learnt and mastered, he’d be damned if he didn’t master walking blind, too. Preferably without bumping into things or tripping over other things, as he currently still did a lot. It was frustrating, to say the least, but this was a path he had chosen freely for the safety of Noctis. The younger was not only his charge, but as close to a brother as a person not related by blood could be. He wouldn’t complain about his new handicap.

Gladiolus, by now having grown so much closer to the young adviser on a more intimate level, stepped into the bathroom that morning once Ignis finished his shower. He once again saw all those bruises on Ignis’ arms and especially legs while the other stood by the sink with only a towel around his waist, and each bruise spoke of another fall or hit against an inanimate object over the past days, which were always well hidden by clothes. It kept tearing at his heart that Ignis had been dealt this fate, after all the man had done and sacrificed over the years. Now, too, he caught himself wondering if the Kings of Yore were maybe more cruel than any of the enemies they had faced so far. To think that they would have taken the royal adviser’s life, had the late King Regis not intervened…

“Gladio?” the familiar voice brought him back to the present, snapping him out of his thoughts. He hadn’t announced his entry into the bathroom, so Ignis had all reason to ask. “Yeah, sorry. You want help with that?” he asked, seeing the razor and shaving foam in his lover’s hands, “I know you’re good with blades and stuff, and you wanna get your independence back asap, but you’ve been pushing yourself a lot these last few days. Lemme take care of you with this,” he said, without leaving room for discussion as he already reached for the items. Ignis had shaved himself the other day, and while it had gone well enough without major accidents, it had been a slow and - for Ignis - frustrating process of constantly pausing to try feel if he had missed any foamed spot, and getting all the right angles to avoid slicing himself.

Meeting no further resistance, Gladiolus set to work by evenly applying the foam to his boyfriend’s face and throat first. It was then that it occurred to him that Ignis only opened his right eye when they were alone, and closed it once they were outside, among other people. The unseeing eye was looking back at him, and while some might find it creepy, it somehow made him think that the younger was in fact looking at him with his mind’s eye in an attempt to make up for the visual lack. He wouldn’t put it past Ignis to figure out ways to try compensate, with his keen memory for instance of height differences.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d be surprised you even remember how to do a clean shave,” Ignis said lightly in his own sense of humour, the corners of his lips curling into a soft smile while Gladiolus began to shave along the outer side of a cheek. A hand reached up to cup the older’s own cheek, the thumb brushing over the beard and stubble decorating the features. It had Gladiolus laugh, as his own face surely was far from clean shaven. “Yeah, I’m just full of surprises. Maybe I’ll just leave you a smartly styled beard as--” he began with a grin, being promptly interrupted by Ignis’ “I’ll tie you to a chair and pluck every single hair of your beard with a pair of pincers,” which had the older laugh again.

“Kidding, kidding!” the Shield yielded with a grin still on his lips, “A smart beard would probably suit you, but really, you don’t need it. You’re breathtakingly beautiful without one,” he said with a warm smile and genuinity in his voice. He knew these new scars in Ignis’ face naturally put a dent on the younger’s self-esteem, even if Ignis wouldn’t admit it out loud, so he made it a personal mission to remind and assure the younger just how beautiful he still was. At least now he could finally voice his thoughts out loud.

“Listen, I’ve been thinking,” Gladiolus said after a few moments of comfortable silence while he shaved his boyfriend, and he didn’t miss the brief tension going through the younger. Well, he _had _articulated himself a bit on the dramatic side. “You’ve been doing well here these last few days, and the people appreciate your help in getting things planned and organised. I’ve been wondering if you might prefer to stay here and continue helping, while I haul Noct and Prompto’s asses over to Niflheim. We’ll be back before you know it."

With Ignis’ lack of sight, all Gladiolus wanted was to keep him safe, but he wasn’t surprised when the suggestion was rebuffed with a definite, end-of-story “Absolutely not.”

“Iggy, think about it. You’re in no condition to fight, and Niflheim’s gonna be crawling with daemons. We don’t know who or what we’ll be facing in the end, but I’d bet my last Gil that we haven’t seen the last of what’s-his-face. Ardyn,” Gladiolus tried to reason, and just the sound of that name, of the man responsible for Ignis’ injuries, had his blood boiling. Though really, he should have known that Ignis would analyse and look right through his proposal before shooting it down. “I’ll learn how to fight with help of my other senses, and I’ll regain independence. Starting with shaving.”, Ignis said as he reached up to try take the razor from Gladiolus’ hand, which the older quickly held out of the other’s reach. The Shield mentally cursed himself, hoping that Ignis wouldn’t refuse any more help in future, because that was something he’d do.

“I know you’ll learn all that, but it’ll take time, and you’ll have to _give _yourself that time,” Gladiolus countered, moving aside when Ignis again tried to reach for the razor by following along the older’s arm. “You’re probably the smartest person I know, you don’t need _me _telling _you _how difficult it’ll be to train your other senses even just for your daily life,” he said while his free hand finally grabbed Ignis’, just before he got what he was out for.

“I know that!” Ignis finally snapped in frustration, and he pulled his hand out of the grip, though didn’t try to reach for the razor again. He would - reluctantly - let Gladiolus finish the shave, but from thereon out, he would take care of such things himself, he decided. “I know! It’ll take time, but I won’t be left behind. My sight may be compromised, but my mind isn’t. I can still be of help, I just need you to trust me.”

Over the past few days Ignis had kept himself together as impeccably as ever, but this little outburst didn’t surprise Gladiolus much. It had to come sooner or later, and at least here was a safe environment in which the adviser wouldn’t ‘lose face’, as he would undoubtedly call it - in the bathroom, with only Gladiolus, the Shield, to be there for him. The shaving foam still around the younger’s throat momentarily forgotten, and the razor put to the side, he stepped closer to rest his hands on narrow hips, and leant in for a soft kiss that seemed to calm Ignis again. “You’ll learn to regain your independence, I know you will. Just don’t push yourself too hard. I’ll be here for you along the way, I promise,” he said quietly in their closeness once the kiss came to an end, and he pressed another kiss to the other pair of lips as if to seal his promise. Though should things prove to become too dangerous not only for Ignis, but the entire group, he would take necessary measures to keep everybody safe.


End file.
